Embracing Normality
by Loonybin
Summary: Becky tell Merton something he needs to know. Meanwhile Lyrissa's just there for the ride. Rated R for one very, very breif paragraph of sex. It could be a PG-13 but y'know just to be safe.
1. Default Chapter

Embracing Normality 

Embracing Normality 

By: Kendra B. Pettis

_(A/n- This story is about one girl, whom we think we know very well, trying to block her family heritage from her mind. Here we take a look into her mind, and see her journey to self-acceptance)_

_ _

Becky Dingle cautiously wiped her lips with the sleeve of her coat. The body on the ground below her made her want to vomit. The man had passed out well before she was done with her meal. She hadn't meant to take that much, really she hadn't. The smell of the warm liquid had over come her destroyed her defenses. The result, a nearly- if not- dead man. Her purse was still around her neck, the antennae of her cell phone sticking out. Despite what her brother may have thought, she really did have a sense of compassion. She was after all calling an ambulance for this man. Merton would have to proud of that, right?

Her parents would be happy with kill, Becky thought bitterly. They'd always encouraged her not to hold back with her abilities. Of course they also told her not to ask her brother for help, and sure, that was _real_ smart. When their parents had discovered that Merton was obviously devoid of either of the family talents, he had basically been ignored. It hurt Becky now, thinking that she'd actually gone along with that. It had been cruel. He was her brother after all, no matter what her parent said. 

A few weeks after Becky had turned twelve, things started to happen. She found that food didn't satisfy her, and she could generate balls of energy through her hands. Being frightened she almost turned to her friend Cassandra for help, but her mother caught her first, and sat her down to talk. Becky had been (and still was) amazed at the details that came out during their discussion. Her mother was a vampire, and her father, actually no one ever told her what exactly her father was. She'd inherited some of her mother's abilities- the ability to not be noticed in darkness, heightened senses, and then there was the blood lust. That was what had driven her to almost kill this night. From her father had come the energy balls, but nothing else. But what about Merton, she had asked innocently. Merton had only gotten a very pale complexion from his parents, nothing else her mother relayed to Becky. 

'You should just ignore him' her father's voice ran through Becky's head. 'He'll hinder your power strength.'

A single tear ran down her cheek as she remembered the years after that order. At first she thought that she had a one up on him. C'mon, she had these powers that could hurt him in a second if he crossed her. But then came the down sides to having these abilities. She was constantly thirsting for blood. Merton had been of good supply for awhile (he never knew what had hit) but then she got tired of his taste, so she was forced to go out and hunt. So she did, and she hated it. From this point on she hated her powers. 

On his fifteenth birthday Merton moved down into the basement that he'd just finished decorating. He called it his Lair. Becky went down to look at it when he first moved in. It disgusted her. Here, was Merton who was perfectly normal. He wasn't ladened with any powers making him have to hurt innocent people. Yet, he went out of his way to be different from every one else. He used theater makeup to ad to his already vampiric pasty complexion, dressed in black, wore skull necklaces, and studied about the supernatural constantly. It made Becky furious. She vowed from that point on to make his life a miserable as possible.

Well, to give herself points, she had to admit that she had mostly succeeded. Once she entered his high school, she managed to spread rumors, and do all sorts of things to get her brother bullied. It all worked until his senior year when suddenly he'd made friends with Tommy Dawkins. Then it became harder to hurt her brother at school. 

Becky rounded the corner of her street. It was getting the darker by the minute, not that it mattered to her. She nodded a hello to the night doorman of her apartment building and took the elevator up to the third floor. From out side of her door she could hear the phone shrilling. She hurried to open the door and picked up the phone on the table.

"Hello, Becky Dingle." She said.

"Hey, it's Merton." Becky almost dropped the phone. Merton never called her unless it was to check up on her grades. And he'd done that last week. He did have a right; after all he was paying for part of her tuition in law school.

"M-Merton? Is something wrong?" she though she detected a bit of urgency in his voice.

"I was wondering," he started, and hesitated. "What do you know about mom and dad? I know you guys just left, but something's come up."

Becky's interest perked. 'Something' had come up. Immediately the ice-cold Becky façade to presence. "What's come up?"

"I'm not in the mood for games. Just…c'mon, Beck, this is important." Merton pleaded. "Anything you can tell me please?"

"What's the matter?" brief flashes of worry passed through her mind.

There was silence on the other end of the line in England. Though in the background, she was sure she heard someone's voice urging him along. 

"Weird thing's have been happening, and Cally's pregnant. I want to know any knowledge you posses about our family. Anything interesting."

"Oh!" her cold voice left her. So he had gotten more talents from their parents after all, but he didn't know it.

*~*

"Oh!" Merton heard his sister surprised voice. His best friends sister looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to relay the details.

"She knows something." Merton told Lyrissa covering the mouthpiece of the phone as he talked. Lyrissa smiled knowingly and motioned for him to continue talking with Becky.

"So?" Merton asked his sister. "Spill it."

"Details about you first." She said edgily.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Lyrissa reached over to the phone cradle and pressed the speaker button. Merton glared at her, but made no movement to turn it off. Content, Lyrissa lied on the couch, prepared to have a good entertainment source for the rest of the evening.

"I can generate electricity with my hands." He all but shouted into the phone. "There, now are you happy? I don't suppose you'd know anything about this?"

"That's it?" Becky sounded disappointed. "Well it's better than nothing."

"Excuse me?"

On the couch Lyrissa grinned. Suddenly she disappeared.

"What the-" Merton heard on Becky's end of the phone. Lyrissa reappeared holding Becky by the shoulder.

"Just seemed like the kind of conversation that needed to be held face to face." Rissa admitted sheepishly, before reclaiming her position on the couch. So Becky and Merton stood facing each other, with about one billion emotions between them. They didn't know what to do exactly. After a long pause Becky took a deep breath.

"I'm really sorry." She choked out, before turning to tears.

Now Merton really didn't know how to handle the situation. He considered the Mr. Crazy-pants dance, but some how the situation just seemed a little more serious than a simple boy. Other than that time, he had never had to comfort Becky emotionally before. Lyrissa passed over a box of tissues. Merton handed them to Becky stroking her hair, and trying to force ten years of dislike out of his system. He dabbed at her tears while leading her over to the smaller couch.

"Maybe you should tell me what's getting you like this." He turned on the sympathy, and tried to be encouraging.

"Mom and dad told me not to hang around you." She sniffed.

"Huh?" Merton asked, thoroughly confused.

"It was 'cause I got their powers, and they thought you hadn't."

"Wait, back up a little, and tell me what you can ok?" he said nicely. 

"Mom's a vampire, and I don't know what dad is. From what you said, you have his powers. You have that energy thing right?" Becky looked up into her brother's eyes. He seemed transfixed now that she had started in on something of the supernatural.

"You mean we're part vampire, part what-ever?" Merton asked, awe struck.

"I got my powers when I was ten. Then they told me to ignore you. I was going to tell Cass, but they stopped that too. I'm really sorry. That doesn't make up for what I've done to you, but I really am sorry." Her tears started flowing again.

"Just consider your self forgiven." Merton's eyes narrowed. "I think I'm going to be having a talk with our mother and father. And Becky, this wasn't, and isn't your fault. Do you understand."

Feeling like a wounded little girl, Becky nodded and crawled in closer to her older brother.

*~*

(A/n- aw! So sweet. I liked writing this. I have NO idea where it fits in on my time line, but who the hell cares. I'll find a spot for it when I finish Pirates. By the way, I won't be finishing the King Arthur one. I like this and Pirates better. I have to go now. Sorry school is back in full force, but if you ever want to talk I'm always on the computer from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM on the weekdays, and on weekends, it's 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. You can e-mail me at KendraBP@aol.com or [Cajun_chick411@hotmail.com][1]. Or, IM me on AOL IM at Cajun Chick411.)

-Peace Out,

KendraBP 

   [1]: mailto:Cajun_chick411@hotmail.com



	2. A calm discussion

*~*

*~*

'A calm discussion; talk normally and firmly. Be angry, but don't explode. Above all back away from all sharp objects.' Merton Dingle repeated his mantra to him self, hoping that it might help him calm down. Merton had never been a particularly emotional type of person. In the past he had always been able to keep his cool with his parents in tough situations. Fortunately, the situations had never been this bad. The phone was held steady in his hands as he prepared to dial the number. He knew that the younger Dawkins could have brought his parents to his flat easily, but then the 'sharp objects' part of his mantra would have just been totally ignored. 

"You're prolonging fate Merton. Call them." Lyrissa said. She had originally been there for a good night of the cheesiest horror flicks Merton owned, while her brother, his wife and Cally went out to see a more current film. While trying to be helpful, she was also becoming impatient.

A second later both girls could here the tones being pressed. Becky attentively slipped her arm around her brother to give him support. He seemed to welcome the gesture and smiled at her genuinely, for the first time in years. 'Cally was right, we don't hate each other' Merton thought allowing some of the tension to be released from his muscles. He gave Becky's hand a little squeeze as their mothers voice greeted him. Again Lyrissa pressed the speaker button, eager to here what was going on. 

"Good evening Mrs. Dingle." Merton's voice sounded icy. In his mind he couldn't imagine calling her mom, or even mother so he resorted to formality.

"Merton?" sounded the voice. "We weren't expecting you to call. Is something wrong?"

"Becky's here. In tears." He stated coolly. The two sentences were all that were needed to convey his feelings, and his newfound knowledge. Having almost the same reaction as Becky, Mrs. Dingle was silent for a while before saying a word.

"And, how are…you?" his mother asked slowly.

"We'll come to that in a second." Merton snapped. "Right now we're discussing your children. Like I said, she's here with me in London, crying, apologizing, and telling me a very interesting story. A story that now explains why you suggested that I move my room to the basement, or why Becky had a curfew and I didn't, or why you seemed to care about Becky and not about me. Y'know not many parents would just up and let their kids move to Europe with a bunch of their friends. Cass at least to _beg_."

"I'm sorry…"

"I seem to be getting a lot of that tonight." He cut her off. "I don't want that anymore, especially not from you or your husband. I just want the truth, and I want to know why you didn't tell me before."

"We didn't tell you because we didn't think you were like us." She said bluntly. "Becky was, so we told her. You probably already know, but I'm a vampire. That's the reason you've got the pale skin. I'll fax over a picture of your father. When you see Tommy's sister again give it to her. She'll know what he is."

"Don't you know?" asked Merton. "You don't know?"

"Sorry no, I don't." there was a pause again. "Now can you please tell me how you are?" 

*~*

**A/n- I feel I have to tell someone this. At 8:45 when the first plane hit the 2nd tower of the former World Trade Center I was in my first period math class at S.O.M.S in S.O New Jersey. We were working on fractals when our principal came over the P.A system announcing that something had happened to the Trade Centers. He had no details. One minute later he announced that a plane had flown into it. My brother works on 1 Wall St. Our teacher turned on channel four news and we watched, live, the second plane hit. The guidance consoler then called for all student counselors to come to the guidance office. I went. Almost all of my friends were there waiting for news of their friends and family. I ran into the office, grabbed a phone and called my aunt. She told me my brother had missed the train this morning and was at home. I went back to my friends and started to do my job as student counselor, I counseled. I dealt with feelings and emotions that I never thought would come out. One of the girls in our school had a mother that was supposedly on the fated plane from Boston to L.A. she missed it, and took the next flight back home (South Orange). Coming into Newark airport she witnessed the plane she missed hitting the south tower and exploding. We were all listening to z-100 for more information. When the next plane hit the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia My friend's cousin perished. We wept, and held prayer circles. **

**Today on September 12, 2001 as I write this I can look out of my bedroom window and see army helicopters flying above us, because we're so close to Newark Airport. It's a constant reminder of the tragedy that has probably affected us all. My nephew has a poster in his room of Spider-man swinging in front of the Twin Towers. When I went to wake him up this morning I cried upon seeing it. I don't know why I'm telling you all this, It might be because I just want everyone across the country to know that this has affected all of us, from Hawaii to New York. My heart goes out to all the people who've lost loved ones in the World Trade Centers, The Pentagon, and on the four planes that were used against us.**

**-Yours truly in this tragic time for our country,**

**Kendra Bailey Pettis **


	3. Discoveries

*~*

"You know him?" Merton held the recently faxed paper in Lyrissa's face. Staring at the picture, she blanched, doing a double take. 

"Mien Gott!" she muttered. Lyrissa grabbed the picture of Mr. Dingle out of Merton's hand. "Your father kidnapped me."

"Excuse me?" Merton raised a questionable eyebrow. "You're saying our father is a dimension pirate?"

"Well yeah." Lyrissa started pacing around the room. Little flames popped up from her finders and danced around her hands. "That would explain that energy thingy. All the pirates had that. That was how they were keeping me down."

"Wait, what pirates are you taking about?" asked Becky, thoroughly confused.

"Long story short, Ly was held by the pirates because she had the orb. In the end we got her back, but she ended up moving out of our dimension anyway. She visits once and awhile, like tonight."

"Whoa!" Becky stared down at the speakerphone; on the other line she heard her mothers soft breathing. She began to speak. "Did you catch that?"

"Explains why he was away so often. Business trips. Sure." Merton said glairing. "Y'know lady, you're lucky I'm not in Pleasantville finding out about this. Your life would not be a happy one right now."

"Merton don't make threats you can't keep." His mother snapped.

"Lord, you're starting to sound like Lyrissa. Everyone just needs to shut up for a second. I'll be right back." Merton turned on his heel and walked out of the room. Becky and Lyrissa looked each other, wondering what he would come back with, if anything. They turned back as the Goth walked back into the room. He was holding two books, one on Vampires and one on Heredity. He had many books on the latter; he had graduated with a major in the subject. Running his fingers through his hair, he opened the one on vampires and started reading.

"Lyrissa hang up the phone." Merton instructed.

"Hang up on your mom?" she hesitated.

"She's not my mother. Get it?" He almost growled. "Turn the phone off."

She shrugged and hung up the phone. Becky was curled next to him on the couch gazing over his shoulder.

"What're you reading about?" she asked.

"Just stuff." Merton looked up at her. "I don't think I can deal with this right now. I told you Cally's pregnant right? Well now what, how am I gonna tell her this?"

"Cally's not going to care. She's a witch for Gods sake." Lyrissa laughed and grinned. 

"Ly, this isn't funny." He said softly. "This seriously explains a lot. I think my powers were triggered when they all came to visit. I think it was the day before they left when I started noticing. I think it was that night…that means that they weren't dormant anymore, which mean now…"

"The night what?" Becky asked raising her eyebrows expectantly.

"Nothing." Merton shook his head and flipped the page. "Just means my kid's going to be full vampire. The traits are dominant if it's being passed by a male. If my genes had still been dormant then it wouldn't have mattered."

"But you said that the genes were dormant until your parents…OH! Cally's only a few days pregnant." Lyrissa turned a bright shade of pink upon her discovery.

"Doesn't that school you go to have a curfew?" He asked, exasperated. 

Lyrissa grinned slightly. Ever since she'd started going to school in another dimension at Xavier's School for the Gifted, she taken to staying out late whether it was with her brother and his friends or her boyfriend (who happened to be a comic character). She took the hint Merton was giving her and excused her self to get back to her room at the school.

"Do you want to stay here tonight, I'll orb you back in the morning." Merton offered.

"Thanks." Becky smiled into her brother's eyes. "You know I'm really sorry about all this. I love you, I really do. Talk more in the morning?"

"'Course." Merton swung his arm around his little sister's shoulder and squeezed her tight.

*~*

Cally Dingle knew that something was amiss as soon as she entered her flat later that evening. It was about twelve o' clock at night and her husband wasn't awake as far as she could see. That might not be unsual for some but Cally had noticed that lately Merton was becoming quite the night owl. She put her purse onto the table by the television and padded her way quietly into the main bedroom. The room was pitch black before she flicked on the lightswitch to change for bed. But as the light went on she stifled a surprised yelp. Merton was sitting up in bed concentrating intensly on a book. The fact that he was reading didn't surprise her, it was the fact that he had obviously been doing it in the blackness of the room.

"Cal?" Merton turned at her noise. He laid the book down in his lap and looked worriedly at her. "Cal, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." She took a few calming breaths. "It's just that…honey, were you reading in the dark?"

"Er, I guess so." He shrugged sheepishly.

Cally raised her eyebrows but said nothing. Instead she unpinned her hair and began undressing for bed. "How was your night?"

"Great. Rissa and I had fun. We watched some good movies." He lied, as he watched his wife move around the room to find her nightwear.

Finally Cally settled down into bed beside Merton. Her head rested against his bare chest as she thought about what he'd just said. Merton's voice had been a little to perky for her liking. She felt him start to stroke her hair lightly as if he knew she was suspicious and he was trying to chase it away. Merton rolled over on top over her and started removing his black silk boxers. He's in a good mood, Cally thought to herself giggling slightly. She felt soft kisses being planted on her neck, before he drove himself into her. She gasped, for he seemed stronger than usual. The kisses turned harder as they continued, until they were hickeys. Then they became more than hickeys as Merton bit through her skin and stayed there, sucking harshly.

"Merton?" Cally said alarmed. "Merton, what the hell are you doing?"

Her head started to swim and she was slipping in and out of a dream like state. Cally jerked around trying to get free. When she turned to her right she caught a glimpse of the book Merton had been reading before. It was entitled A History of Lamia. Every thing fell into place for Cally then. Lamia was an old word for Vampire.

"_Allium_." She said grimly. She hated to do this to Merton but unless she wanted to die she had to. Merton was thrown off of her as she uttered the spell. He rolled of the bed, thumping onto the floor moaning. Cally sat up slowly, slapping her hand to her neck. Two drops of blood came from two pressure sensitive marks. 

"Oh god." Came a groan from the floor. "Cally, what was that?"

"A spell to get you detached from my neck." Cally reached over and helped Merton off the floor. She looked over him, appraising his state of health. The only things out of place were two fangs sticking out over his bottom lip. 

"Detached from your neck?" Merton's jaw dropped. "What…oh no." He probed his tongue around his mouth feeling his fangs and unconsciously licking the blood from his lower lip. He sat back on the bed next to Cally, hitting his forehead with a hand. "Tell me I didn't bite you. Please Cal?"

Cally wanted to offer sympathy but at the moment she couldn't. she wanted to know why he hadn't said something about this. "So my prince of darkness, when were you going to let me in on this?"

"I just found out tonight. Becky called, and…" He glanced at Cally. "This is a long story."

Cally sighed, and draped Merton's robe over his naked body. "I'm listening."

*~*


End file.
